From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher. What strategies are used by your teacher to encourage students to attend and engage?
How important is student engagement to you view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
Observations:
During Mr. O's first block A.P. Environmental Biology class, the students were all very engaged. Mr. O reviewed the previous night's homework while the students asked questions. When there would be an important term or
concept in the slide show, Mr. O would highlight it with the cursor and let the students know that this would
be on the next quiz/test and this would draw attention to it. While the students copied down notes from the board and PowerPoint, Mr. O would walk around the room to answer questions and comments. Overall, this class
seemed to be very attentive and focused on the task at hand.
During Mr. O's second block Inquiry Biology class, the students as a whole weren't engaged in the lesson. There were a handful of students that were taking notes and paying attention but there were also students who didn't have a notebook or pen/pencil in front of them. Mr. O used the same techniques from his previous class (walking around, highlighting key terms and phrases). After class I asked him how he addresses the students that do not seem focused, and he said that you can't force them to take notes. His tactic is that when these students do ask questions, as long as they pertain to science, he will discuss them. Most of the time they relate to real life issues and Mr. O discusses them and then tries to relate it to the class topics if possible and if not he then tells the class that it's time to get back on track and continues giving notes. He feels that as long as the class is discussing science topics, he's pleased.
Reflections:
Engagement is needed with both the A.P. course and the Inquiry course. Even if the students have the desire to learn, they still need that hook that will get them eager to learn the material and to say attentive during the class. In the Inquiry course, students will need that extra boost to keep them awake and focused. As a teacher, I would ask students what some questions they have about a certain topic are (curiosity, confusion, comments). In addition to this I would have prepared questions that I would ask followed by reactions from the students. I like how Mr. O makes real world connections but they should be related to the material that is being covered in that unit and even better, that class. I would also break up the block by giving notes and having a discussion for some of the time and then have them work in pairs or independently on an in-class assignment and then all come together again as a class and have a discussion about the assignment and what they got out of it. This would require students to actively participate in the lesson and their learning versus being a passive learner for the entire block and copying down notes; they actually get to apply the knowledge.
How important is student engagement to you view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
Observations:
During Mr. O's first block A.P. Environmental Biology class, the students were all very engaged. Mr. O reviewed the previous night's homework while the students asked questions. When there would be an important term orconcept in the slide show, Mr. O would highlight it with the cursor and let the students know that this would
be on the next quiz/test and this would draw attention to it. While the students copied down notes from the board and PowerPoint, Mr. O would walk around the room to answer questions and comments. Overall, this class
seemed to be very attentive and focused on the task at hand.
During Mr. O's second block Inquiry Biology class, the students as a whole weren't engaged in the lesson. There were a handful of students that were taking notes and paying attention but there were also students who didn't have a notebook or pen/pencil in front of them. Mr. O used the same techniques from his previous class (walking around, highlighting key terms and phrases). After class I asked him how he addresses the students that do not seem focused, and he said that you can't force them to take notes. His tactic is that when these students do ask questions, as long as they pertain to science, he will discuss them. Most of the time they relate to real life issues and Mr. O discusses them and then tries to relate it to the class topics if possible and if not he then tells the class that it's time to get back on track and continues giving notes. He feels that as long as the class is discussing science topics, he's pleased.
Reflections:
Engagement is needed with both the A.P. course and the Inquiry course. Even if the students have the desire to learn, they still need that hook that will get them eager to learn the material and to say attentive during the class. In the Inquiry course, students will need that extra boost to keep them awake and focused. As a teacher, I would ask students what some questions they have about a certain topic are (curiosity, confusion, comments). In addition to this I would have prepared questions that I would ask followed by reactions from the students. I like how Mr. O makes real world connections but they should be related to the material that is being covered in that unit and even better, that class. I would also break up the block by giving notes and having a discussion for some of the time and then have them work in pairs or independently on an in-class assignment and then all come together again as a class and have a discussion about the assignment and what they got out of it. This would require students to actively participate in the lesson and their learning versus being a passive learner for the entire block and copying down notes; they actually get to apply the knowledge.**Class Topic: Ecosystems and Ecosystem Management; Cell Growth/Cell Cycle
Grade: 10,11,12
Observed by:Jillian Boisse